We now have our finalists for the men’s singles, women’s singles, and mixed doubles while the men’s doubles and mixed doubles will have their finals already today.
As we have gotten closer to the finals, the pressure and the level have naturally risen. Emotions run high too. All the semifinalists are eyeing the gold, being just one step away from playing for the top prize.
While we already had the semifinals for the men’s doubles and women’s doubles yesterday, the other disciplines still had to compete for the coveted spot in the final.
2016 Rio gold medallist Carolina Marin continues with her strike of solid performance at the European Games with a win in straight games, 21-13 21-11, against an opponent she knows very well, Great Britain’s Kirsty Gilmour. “It’s always a good fight when I play against her. I wanted to enjoy it today on court and give my best, and that’s what I did. I showed a good performance and I’m looking forward to play the final here,” Marin stated.
Another one of the favourites, Dane Viktor Axelsen did not have such an easy match today as he faced tough opposition from France’s Toma Junior Popov. Emotions were running high and after some close moments, the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist got to finish the match with the victory against his French opponent.
"I didn't feel that comfortable out there today, so it was a good test for me to still perform on a day where I didn't feel my best,” Axelsen stated, also acknowledging Popov’s strong performance today, “Credits to Toma for playing a good match."
Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek, Netherlands, delievered a fantastic performance today against Danes Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje, a duo that have had an excellent run in the last tournaments they have played. “We’re familiar with each other,” Piek said, while Tabeling added, “We tried to be on top of them with every shot. Not with speed but just show them that we were ready and coming for them and I think that made them sometimes a little hesitant.”
Indeed, the duo from the Netherlands came out on top, winning in straight games, 21-14 21-13. “We have played a really, really solid match. That’s something we can be proud of. This is the best feeling in the world,“ Piek said.
Ready for the first finals?
The finals for the disciplines of women's doubles and men's doubles from the European Games 2023 — first up will be Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva, Bulgaria, against Debora Jille and Cheryl Seinen, Netherlands, and the second and last final of the day will be between Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, Denmark, and Ben Lane and Sean Vendy, Great Britain.
Matches will be starting at 06.00pm (CEST). You can watch the matches live on
EuropeanGames.tv.